Graduation Semester and Year
Fall 2024
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Dr. Jan Phillips
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: Health literacy is key in promoting positive health outcomes, particularly in older adults who often face difficulties understanding and managing complex medical conditions. Limited health literacy contributes to poor management of chronic conditions and health disparities, especially in disadvantaged populations.
Objectives: This project aimed to improve health literacy in older adults through a health literacy bundle.
Design: A pre/post single group design was used to evaluate the impact of the health literacy bundle on participants’ health literacy levels. The intervention was conducted over eight weeks.
Setting: The project was implemented in a small rural town in South Texas with a support group for older adults aged 65 and older with myasthenia gravis.
Methods: The intervention was delivered to 31 support group members and involved several key components. The pre-post test differences in the scores for health literacy knowledge, functional health literacy, critical health literacy with empowerment, and communicative health literacy were measured before and four weeks post-intervention. Hands-on practice with the MyMG health app was measured with a teach-back demonstration on the same day of the intervention. Health literacy was measured using the All Aspects Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS) and the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS).
Results: The health literacy program showed small to moderate improvements in perceived health literacy scores measured by the AAHLS domains of communicative (COM) and critical with empowerment (CrEMP) and the eHEALS scale. However, it had no measurable effect on the AAHLS domain of functional (F) scores. The teach-back mobile health application was effective, with 80% of the patients reporting the maximum 8-point score.
Conclusions: This project demonstrated that a health literacy bundle incorporating education, technology, and active patient engagement using a teach-back demonstration can significantly improve health literacy among older adults in an underserved community. This intervention offers a scalable model for enhancing health literacy and reducing health disparities in vulnerable populations.
Keywords: Health literacy, digital health literacy, health app, health literacy bundle, knowledge, older adults, vulnerable populations
Keywords
health literacy, digital health literacy, health app, health literacy bundle, knowledge, older adults, vulnerable populations
Disciplines
Adult and Continuing Education | Public Health and Community Nursing
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Hernandez, Maricela, "Improving Health Literacy Through Knowledge and Technology" (2024). Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects. 86.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/nursing_dnpprojects/86
